Can Your Content Keep Up with Voice Search Trends?

Ten years ago, the
idea of talking to your phone — not on the phone, but to your phone — seemed
completely foreign. However, with the introduction of Apple’s Siri in late
2011, talking to your phone suddenly became a lot more reasonable. Apple wasn’t
alone in this innovation for long, either. With Windows’ Cortana and Android’s
assistant feature, it’s now possible to search the web, find information, and
even explore news stories through voice alone. This trend has only accelerated
with the introduction of smart home devices, like Amazon Echo and Google
Home.

With the continued
growth, it’s unlikely this progression will end anytime soon. ComScore even
estimates that 50% of searches will be made by voice by 2020. And while this
may be exciting for those in the technology space, the story is quite different
for companies that, to this point, have created content with standard web users
in mind.

The Divide Between Text and Speech

In some ways, text and
speech are similar. Text tends to use the same phrases and grammar as spoken
word, at least to an extent. However, the habits taught for effective Google
searches do not generally translate into normal talking patterns. As such,
while someone looking for a shopping mall may type “shopping malls near
me” into Google, they’re more likely to say something like “Where is
the closest shopping mall?” to Siri. Voice search queries are longer and
more complex than a traditional web search, too; a standard search uses one to
three words, while spoken queries are typically between four to six. Keywords
and phrases are emphasized online, whereas users speaking into a device are
more likely to speak in full sentences.

There’s a lot to be
learned from voice queries from which companies can benefit. For example,
the kinds of spoken questions asked can provide greater insight into where a
customer is in a purchase funnel. A web search that says “Levi
jeans” doesn’t mean much, but the question “where can I buy Levi
jeans” is a much better indication that someone is ready to make a
purchase. However, to take advantage of this, it’s important for site creators
to prioritize content that appeals to these specific types of requests.

Conversational content is a priority. When you post content, make sure it sounds similar to human speech patterns and follows common colloquial phrasing searchers are likely to use. Use tools like buyer personas to identify who your target demographic is and make sure your content matches accordingly.

Incorporate full questions as often as possible, including queries that start with who, what, when, where, why, and how. Add these kinds of questions into the headings of your content or as page titles, as often as fits naturally. Put a focus on long-tail keywords to fit with normal speaking patterns.

Make sure structured data and schema mark-up are incorporated into the back end of your website to better help search engines process your data and pair your content with voice queries.

Voice technology is no
longer the future; it’s the present and your website needs to keep up. If new
voice search trends are not informing your content creation, your business is
going to lag behind those who do. When you want to take your business in the
right direction, RivalMind’s expert SEO resources can help
you create content that resonates — no matter who is searching or how they’re
doing it.